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An Example of how the Turkey produces its unique sounds.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TZB_lUA2Ns

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Wild Turkey Hens Cutting Yelping and Calling

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In this video segment from Nature: "My Life as a Turkey", wildlife artist and naturalist Joe Hutto reflects upon wild turkeys' complex system of communication. Hutto lived with 16 wild turkeys for more than a year and gained valuable insight into their methods of communication.

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Turkey season is almost here again, and I will be the first to admit that I probably got lucky last year. Yes, I got my very first turkey last year. I got a jake the second week of turkey season, followed by a tom the next week. I went out with my diaphragm call and a pot call. Sure, I had practiced with both prior to hunting. And yes, I called in both birds completely on my own. I was very excited and proud; the fact that I did it solo made it so much more rewarding. But, did I truly know what I was doing?

Well, the honest answer to that is a big, fat "NO"! The only thing I really knew was what I had seen on hunting shows and the little I learned from the few times I had gone out with my husband. It had been years though, since going out to do any turkey hunting. But for some reason last year, I fell in love with calling, or at least the idea of being able to call successfully. So, I got a few pointers from a championship caller at a trade show, and that was it. I was ready.

Of course, I now realize how little I truly knew last season. And, as someone who believes that education and knowledge are the true keys to success, I decided it was time to start studying. It's not enough just to know all the different vocalizations of the wild turkey, but to also understand the meaning behind each sound. So, here you go, the 12 sounds every turkey hunter should know:

https://doeandarrowhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Cluck.mp3

The cluck consists of one or more short, staccato notes. Typically it consists of 3 clucks with 2 or 3 seconds between each note. The cluck is one of the most basic calls used in turkey hunting, and even more importantly, one of the most common sounds heard in the turkey woods. The cluck is used by both hens and gobblers, and is basically just to let other birds know they are there. However, there is a distinct difference between a male cluck and a female cluck, as the male cluck will be much lower pitched than the hen's. During the breeding season, a hen cluck works great. What gobbler doesn't want to know a hen is waiting on him! So, if you hear a gobbler and he just won't budge, try some clucking. It just may do the trick.

Plain Yelp

https://doeandarrowhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Plain_Hen_Yelp.mp3

The yelp is another very common sound among turkeys. And, again, this one is used by both gobblers and hens. Just like clucks, yelps are basically used to let the other turkeys know of their location. And, like clucks, yelps are short, single notes sounding very much like their name. Hen yelps will be higher in pitch and usually consist of 3 to 8 single notes, while gobbler yelps are more coarse and may only consist of 3 notes. The yelp is another great sound for calling in a gobbler that is held up, or one that is still in the roost, as it lets him know a hen is up and ready.

Excited Yelp

https://doeandarrowhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Excited_Hen_Yelps.mp3

Okay, so you got the plain yelp. Now let's talk about the excited yelp. It's very similar to the plain yelp, only it's much more intense. The excited yelp is faster and louder. And, no it's not a sign of danger or a warning. This vocalization is just what it says it is. This is an excited bird, which could be a little more difficult to call in. However, you can still use the excited yelp to your advantage. If you have a gobbler that is henned up and you've already tried some softer calls, put the excited yelp to work. Pick a fight with the dominant hen. Yep, get excited; cut off the other hens with your intense yelps. You just may be able to get that dominant hen to come in and bring that big, ole gobbler with her.

https://doeandarrowhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Purrs-1.mp3

The purr is a soft, rolling sound and is a sign of contentment. It is most often heard during feeding. The purr is great for reassuring birds that are already in range. This will keep the other birds calm while you're waiting on that tom to make his way in.

Cluck & Purr

https://doeandarrowhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Cluck_and_Purr.mp3

The cluck and purr is just how it sounds. It is a combination of a single cluck followed by a single purr. This is considered flock talk and is another sign of contentment. The cluck & purr is often more amplified than the standard cluck or purr, and is another way to reassure birds that it's safe.

Cutt

https://doeandarrowhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Cutting.mp3

The cutt is a combination of loud, sharp clucks mixed with yelps. While the cutt is very loud, it is not a sign of alarm. Cutting is done to show excitement. Very much like the excited yelp, the cutt can be used to try and lure in the dominant hen. Again, when using this calling technique, you will want to cut off the other hens with your series of excited clucks and yelps. The point is to bring in the other hens in hopes that the gobbler will follow.

https://doeandarrowhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Putt.mp3

The putt can be a single sharp note, or a series of sharp notes. This is a signal of danger or alarm. So, how can this be useful in hunting? Putting will generally get a gobbler to stop and take notice. The putt is only used for gobblers that are already in range. Just remember, once you putt, the gobbler will be on alert, so you will have a very short window to make your shot.

Assembly Call

https://doeandarrowhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Assembly_Call.mp3

The assembly call is used by the hen to assemble her flock or young poults. It is a series of longer, louder, and stronger yelps. The assembly call is considered a good call for fall hunting seasons.

Kee Kee/Kee Kee Run

https://doeandarrowhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Kee_Kee_Run.mp3

This is the call of lost young turkeys, but can also be used by adult birds, as well. The kee kee is a series of small, high-pitched notes, usually a run of 3. It is sometimes followed by a yelp, known as the kee kee run. This call is used more in the fall as it is often used to try and reassemble a flock. With that said, the kee kee can also be used in the spring to produce natural sounds of the woods.

Fly Down/Up Cackle

https://doeandarrowhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Fly_Down_Cackles.mp3

The cackle consists of a series of 3 to 10 loud, irregularly spaced, staccato notes. The notes increase in pitch as the call nears end. Cackles are most often used when leaving the roost. However, birds may also cackle as they fly up to roost. A fly down cackle is a great call to let a gobbler know that hens are on the ground. It is usually best to use it after the gobbler has left his roost. Want a great way to locate a gobbler? Try using a fly up cackle; it can be a great scouting tool.

https://doeandarrowhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Tree_Calling.mp3

The tree call is a series of soft, muffled yelps that pick up in intensity as fly down time nears. It can often be accompanied by soft clucks. The tree call is used as a communication tool among the flock and can be used to let the other birds know you are there.

https://doeandarrowhunting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Gobbling.mp3

Last, but certainly not least, there is the gobble. The gobble is the main vocalization of the male turkey. It is used primarily in the spring to let hens know he is around. The gobble is a very loud and rapid gurgling sound. It can be heard as far as a mile away, and it is the sound that all turkey hunters live to hear. Yet, it could be the one sound you may not want to make, and is typically used as a last resort. Why, you ask? While gobbling could very well draw in that dominant tom you're looking for, it could just as easily scare away a less dominant one.

So, there you have it, the 12 main vocalizations of the wild turkey. I realize a lot of them sound very similar in nature, but I assure you a turkey can tell the difference. This is why it is important to not only know what they sound like, but to understand why and when they should be used. Maybe it's not your calling that's so bad after all; maybe it's just your call choice, or the timing.

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Turkey Talk: Understanding the Language - Doe & Arrow Hunting

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Turkey season is almost here again, and I will be the first to admit that I probably got lucky last year. Yes, I got my very first turkey last year. I got a jake the second week of turkey season, followed by a tom the next week.

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Spring makes wild turkey hunters daydream of calm mornings with gobbles erupting from every ridge.

In particular, it's the interaction between hunter and turkey that brings many back to the timber each season. However, wild turkey communication is complex, with many different kinds of vocalizations and extensive body language. Hunters can increase their chances of success if they have a complete understanding of how and why turkeys communicate. Let's review the basics.

Turkey Talk 101

Wild turkeys have a well-developed communication system that plays an important role in their lives. From avoiding danger to mating, turkeys depend on communication to survive.

Turkeys use two main forms of communication: vocal and visual. Turkeys often use both methods at the same time. For example, a tom may gobble while also strutting and posturing (the act of spreading its tail fan, dragging its wings, and making its body appear larger) for attraction and dominance. During this display, the gobbler is making his presence known vocally by gobbling and visually by displaying.

Vocal Communication

Wild turkeys produce over 20 different types of vocalizations and other sounds (see Turkey Talk Dictionary sidebar for the most common). These calls help birds signal danger, establish social status, and attract a mate. Both gobblers and hens make vocalizations throughout the year. For alarm, all turkeys will "putt." Biologists and hunters think this call warns offending hunters or predators the turkey has spotted them and their efforts to surprise the bird are over. In addition, this alerts other turkeys within hearing distance to the danger.

Both gobblers and hens make vocalizations throughout the year. Hens will communicate with gobblers by tree calling, yelping, cackling, and cutting.

To establish social status, turkeys need other birds around them. However, their flocking nature changes throughout the year. For example, in the fall and winter, it is common for gobblers and hens to break into separate flocks. But as spring unfolds, breeding flocks become more common, with a mix of gobblers and hens. Much of the social status within the flock is established through calling and displaying. Both gobblers and hens will fight for rank within the pecking order while making a number of vocalizations. Establishing dominance helps gobblers, in particular, transition into spring, the mating season, with ease.

The turkey's spring mating ritual and the accompanying sounds and behaviors are well documented. Gobblers are polygamous and will mate with several hens throughout the season. Usually around mid-March, the first gobbles can be heard at daylight. Toms will typically fly down, stand on a ridge, gobble, strut, and spit and drum in the hopes of attracting a hen. Many times, gobbling subsides after fly-down, and toms switch almost entirely to strutting with spitting and drumming. Humans can hear this unique sound only a short distance, usually less than 75 yards. Hens will communicate frequently with gobblers by tree calling, yelping, cackling, and cutting and by coming to the vocal communication offered by toms. This ritual continues through the end of May and overlaps with our spring turkey-hunting season.

Visual Communication

Although we think of turkeys gobbling and yelping to communicate, they don't always make noise to send a message. Wild turkeys frequently use body language and behavior - strutting is an example. In addition to strutting, turkeys also exhibit other posturing to help maintain social structure within a flock.

This posturing can lead to fighting to establish dominance as mentioned earlier

As turkeys approach your setup, pay attention to the birds' body language. A relaxed tom will exhibit normal walking behavior, may strut, and will usually have a relaxed or drooping snood. Stiff walking, high-stretched neck and head, putting, and a shortened snood can be signs of an alert turkey that may be aware of your or another hunter's location.

Learn the Lingo, Master the Methods

Although turkeys have an extensive vocabulary, you should concentrate on mastering the two most common calls: the yelp and cluck.

Learn how to make the calls and, more importantly, when to make them. Practice these calls on a device that is simple and easy to operate until you can produce the sounds with ease.

There are a number of calling devices designed to lure a gobbler into range. The two main types are friction and air blown.

Turkey Body Language

Wild turkeys use a variety of behaviors and appearances to signal their sex, age, mood, or intention. Get to know their most common behaviors and physical features.

Body Blow-up. Gobblers spread their tail fan, erect their body feathers, and drag their wings while showing off their iridescent colors to establish dominance and attract a mate.

Snood Senses. Watch a tom's snood as he approaches your setup. If the snood is long and droopy, he is likely content. If the snood stands straight up quickly, the bird is likely nervous and may not be hanging around long.

Rainbow Head. Turkeys' heads change color frequently. In the spring, a gobbler's head color can change between red, white, and blue, often within a few seconds, depending on his mood.

Bristly Beard. Most toms have beards made up of hairlike feathers protruding from the center of the chest. Beards are thought to indicate the male sex and may communicate dominance. However, as many as 20 percent of hens have beards. Beards serve little purpose for determining age past two years. This is because they are rubbed or broken off as the birds walk or by ice buildup during winter.

Sharp Spurs. Most gobblers have spurs, which are curved features growing from the inner leg. Gobblers use spurs to fight and establish dominance. Hens rarely have spurs. Spur length is the most accurate indicator for the aging of toms.

Friction calls. For beginners, a friction call (box or push button) is a great choice. Try a few inexpensive types of calls at your local sporting goods store.

Friction Devices: These calling devices produce turkey sounds by rubbing together pieces of wood, slate, ceramic, or glass. Typical friction calls include pot/pan calls, box calls, and push/pull calls. These are simple to use and recommended for everyone. In addition, these calls can produce incredibly realistic sounds. One downside is most friction calls require two hands to operate, which creates movement that may spook an incoming turkey. Try different types of friction devices as your skills improve.

Air-Blown Devices: Typically these include mouth diaphragm calls and tube calls. These types of calls can produce a wide range of realistic sounds, but they require more practice than friction calls. In addition, you can use mouth diaphragm calls with minimal movement, making them great to use when working a turkey those last few yards.

As with other wildlife calling, two main forms of turkey calling are practiced: contact calling and blind calling. In contact calling, you haveseen or heard the turkey and can watch orhear the bird's reaction when you call. This can be the most effective form of calling. During blind calling situations, you usecalls in a likely spot, approximately every30 minutes, with the hope of calling in aturkey within hearing distance. If you'rewalking and calling, wear blaze orange.

Calling Scenarios

Every turkey hunt will bring about different scenarios. Here are three of the most common.

Youth Season: Opening Day

Situation: It is 6 a.m. and there are two toms gobbling routinely about 100 yards ahead in the timber. You also hear hens calling farther away and fear the hens will drag the gobblers away. Your soft calls have the gobblers gobbling; however, they have stood their ground. How do you call in one of the toms for a shot?

Technique: Challenge the talkative hens by mimicking their calls and topping it with more aggressive cutting and yelping. Use different calling devices to convince the flock you are more than one bird. Add realism by mixing in clucks and purrs with leaf scratching. Expect the hens to come in and drag the gobblers with them. Wait 15 to 20 minutes before trying another tactic.

Regular Spring Season: Opening Day

Situation: Your scouting has confirmed a gobbler typically flies down and struts in a log landing and remains there until midmorning. You have eased in and now you are sitting on the edge of that log landing with a single hen decoy positioned 20 yards in front of you. It is 5:45 a.m. and the tom gobbled for the first time 100 yards to your right.

Technique: Start by offering soft tree yelps to let the gobbler know you are there. He will likely gobble back eagerly. Wait for him to fly down and then offer a short series of excited cutts and yelps, and then go silent. Keep your firearm pointed in the direction of his gobbles. Listen for spitting and drumming as he approaches.

Regular Spring Season: Last Day

Situation: It is 7 a.m. and you are hunting a large field where gobblers routinely strut. You have heard little gobbling, and nothing is close. What calls might you try to attract a tom?

Technique: Offer short series of soft yelps, clucks, and purrs every 20 to 30 minutes. Don't be surprised if a gobbler shows up unannounced.

Calling up a love-crazed gobbler can be one of the most fulfilling experiences for any hunter. However, for calling to be effective, it must be used in combination with other strategies such as woodsmanship, decoys, and solid setups. For many hunters, it takes experience to understand how to apply the language of wild birds. Study up on how turkeys communicate, apply that knowledge appropriately, and you will be well on your way to notching your tag this spring.

Trick a Tom

Every turkey will respond differently to communication techniques. Use these guidelines for success.

Pick a Solid Setup: Scout the area in advance to locate a turkey hangout. Find a setup location before making any calls in case the gobbler comes in quickly. Keep it safe by choosing a tree that is wider than your shoulders and a spot where you can be seen by others. Keep your gun up and pointed in the direction from which you expect the gobbler to approach and keep movement to a minimum. Leave your safety on and your finger off the trigger until you confirm your target and a clear background.

Build the Conversation: Start out with soft passive calls (plain yelps, clucks) before becoming aggressive. You can always ramp up calling later. However, once aggressive language is used, you cannot take it back.

Learn the Language: Understand what you are saying when you call to a turkey. For example, make sure you are not putting to birds, which would actually be telling them to stay away!

Diversify Calling: Use a variety of calls and calling devices. In addition, add in natural sounds. Examples include wing flapping combined with fly-down cackles or leaf scratching combined with clucks and purrs.

Read Reaction: If contact calling, pay attention to the turkey's reaction and change the conversation if needed. For example, if a turkey cuts off your calling by gobbling, this may be an aggressive tom that may come in quickly. If a turkey is approaching your setup, only call enough to keep the bird coming. Often, once a turkey has committed to investigating, you will not need to call again. If blind calling, pay close attention to your surroundings because a turkey could approach your setup anytime.

Turkey Talk Dictionary

Wild turkeys produce a number of vocalizations and sounds. Become familiar with the most basic

(for recordings and more information on turkey vocalizations visit mdc.mo.gov/node/29704).

Cackle Call sometimes made by turkeys when flying, often when flying down from the roost Use this call along with wingbeats to let a gobbler know you are on the ground and ready for business.

Cluck Soft, contented staccato notes Excellent reassurance call and can mean "I'm here, where are you?"

Cutt Sharp, staccato notes with varying pitch and intensity. Conveys excitement and sometimes aggression Mix with yelps to convey excitement. Fighting Purrs Loud rolling call produced when turkeys are fighting Use this call sparingly to fake a fight.

Gobble Loud gurgling call made primarily by toms to attract hens in the spring Not recommended to imitate due to safety

Kee Kee Run Usually three high-pitched notes followed by yelps. Made by young turkeys when lost Commonly used in the fall after a flock has been separated

Purr Soft, rolling call often accompanied by clucks Use this to signify contentment and to convince a turkey to come those last few yards.

Putt Made by all turkeys in alarm, typically when danger has been spotted The turkey knows you are there, and will likely leave.

Spit and Drum Thought to be produced from the gobbler's mouth (spit) and chest (drumming). This sound is accompanied by strutting. Toms will spit and drum while strutting and displaying to attract hens.

Tree Call Soft nasal yelps made on the roost Great first call to use when calling to a gobbler before fly-down

Yelp Many versions exist (plain, excited, assembly). This is the most common call of hens. Use variations of the yelp for general communication with turkeys.

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Spring makes wild turkey hunters daydream of calm mornings with gobbles erupting from every ridge. In particular, it's the interaction between hunter and turkey that brings many back to the timber each season. However, wild turkey communication is complex, with many different kinds of vocalizations and extensive body language.

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Birds are singing in the mornings. Spring is here. That means gobblers are getting fired-up. Here's a run-down on some turkey talk. Wild turkey calls are a universal language no matter what part of America you're hunting. Here are the basic sounds you should know:

Gobble - this call is uttered by the male turkeys to attract hens for breeding and to announce to the world that the tom is on watch and ready to defend his territory. It's music to the ears of a turkey hunter.

Yelp - a two-toned sound - starts with a whistling "kee" and ends with and sharp "oak". This call means, "I'm here, come on over" in turkey language.

Kee Kee -Uttered by the young turkeys when a flock is scattered until the boss hen can regroup the flock.

Cluck - A single, sharp "puck" sound to announce the gobbler's presence.

Purr - A broken-up sound at a low volume tells the flock that all is well. Turkeys will interpret it as a sign of agitation or aggression as the volume is increased.

Cackle - A series of fast clucks uttered when a turkey is flying or when a hen is sexually excited.

Putt - A loud cluck uttered when turkeys are alarmed. Putting is most often shortly followed by a hasty retreat.

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Birds are singing in the mornings. Spring is here. That means gobblers are getting fired-up. Here's a run-down on some turkey talk. Wild turkey calls are a universal language no matter what part of America you're hunting.

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Tips & Tricks
The thrill of spring turkey hunting would be nothing if it weren't for early morning silences shattered by gobbles and chattering hens. Learning the various vocalizations, and not just what they sound like but what they mean and when to use them, should be the ultimate goal of every spring hunter.

Don't catch yourself in the woods this year confused as to which calls to make, or worse, educating a bird with poor calling and tactics.

The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) provided recordings of actual turkeys, so make sure you listen to each vocalization to see how close-or far-you are from sounding like the real thing.

Yelp

A staple of any caller's arsenal, the yelp is looked at as the main form of communication a hen makes. The yelp is a locating call, helping hens find other turkeys in the area and beckoning them to join her. This applies to hens and toms. If you can fire a hen up enough, she may have to come and investigate, even if she has to drag that gobbler with her.

Cutting

Cutting is usually heard as a rapid and sharp series of clucks. This is an excited call made by a hen to grab the attention of a gobbler-she's fired up and wants the tom to know it. If you're in the woods hearing cutting, you are probably hunting at or near the peak levels of the breeding season and excitement.

It can also serve as another form of communication between hens when they are agitated with each other. If a gobbler is henned-up, you can try agitating his hens to a boiling point. They may have to come settle the dispute-gobbler in tow.

Soft Yelps, Clucks, and Purrs

These are low volume calls that signify contentment. They can translate to safety and security for other birds and can be your best weapon to get a gobbler to close down that final 50 yards.

Using a less is more strategy, lower your volume when the gobblers break into the 100-yard range. The soft calls will reassure the tom that everything is safe and entice it to come and find you. These are some of the most crucial calls when it comes to finishing the hunt.

Fighting Purrs

This is another opportunity for hopped-up hens and gobblers to agitate each other to a boiling point. This purr isn't just for agitating, though-it can signal an actual fight between two birds. This call has the potential to lure a hung up bachelor group of toms who don't want to miss a good fight.

For the hunter, simply up the intensity of your standard purr, and don't be afraid to beat your hat around in the leaves to simulate wings flapping in an actual fight. This tends to work well in the early spring season when both hens and toms are establishing pecking orders before breeding peaks. It's important to judge the bird's moods before attempting, though. If the woods are quiet on a certain day, this is probably not the trick to pull out of your bag.

Tree Yelps

Roosting hens often begin their yelping at dawn. This isn't the same type of excited yelp they will break into later, though. These light, quiet yelps are meant to convince nearby toms that you are the first hen they hear that morning. Think of adding a sense of grogginess in the call by keeping it quiet and calm as you entice the toms to fly down from the roost and right into your setup.

More times than not, aggressive calling will lead them to fly further away from your setup.

Spit and Drum

This gobbler-only sound is used while a tom is displaying or closing the distance on a hen. Like the gobble, a tom is using this to attract hens but will only start as the bird closes the final gap. The sound is audible once the tom hits about 100 yards, and conditions have to be right for you to hear the faintest spit. This call still remains a bit of a mystery for many hunters, but its effectiveness is well documented.

If and when a tom hangs up just beyond your decoys, a few spits and purrs may be all you need to convince him that another tom is in the area. Sometimes, when a gobbler isn't in the right mood to meet the hen, it still won't want another bird to come in.

Knowing the sound of a spitting and drumming tom can also save you when hunting in high-pressure areas. Often, pressured toms just won't gobble much but will use the spit and drum call as they close in on a hen.

Cackle

Cackling can add realism to your early morning set up when combined with tree yelps. After letting a nearby tom know they are the first bird awake and active, hens will make this raspy call as they fly down from the roost in the morning. This call is best used after the tom leaves his tree because if he is still roosted, he may just wait for the hen to do all the work and come closer. Your job is to paint a convincing picture of early morning turkey activity-convincing enough to fool even the most careful toms.

Jake and Tom Yelps

Hens aren't the only birds clucking in the spring woods. Jakes and toms sometimes communicate amongst themselves. Hunters with sharp ears need to recognize this cluck, however, as it does differ from that of a hen and can signal incoming toms.

When in a bachelor group, toms lower in the pecking order will make clucks when responding to a dominant tom's spit and drum. The clucks will sound louder than the spit and drum. So, if all you are getting in response are jake clucks but they are getting closer, be prepared-a mature tom could be on his way in. Spring is an incredibly important time of year for turkey hunters, and armed with these vocalizations and onX Hunt we hope everyone makes the most of their opportunities in the spring woods. To follow more action, be sure to check out onX Hunt's Facebook and Instagram pages.

Updated: January 2021

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Tips & Tricks The thrill of spring turkey hunting would be nothing if it weren't for early morning silences shattered by gobbles and chattering hens. Learning the various vocalizations, and not just what they sound like but what they mean and when to use them, should be the ultimate goal of every spring hunter.

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Wild Turkeys are very large, plump birds with long legs, wide, rounded tails, and a small head on a long, slim neck.

Relative Size

One of our largest and heaviest birds; smaller than a Trumpeter Swan; about twice the size (and four times as heavy) as a Ring-necked Pheasant.

goose-sized or larger

Measurements

Both Sexes

Length: 43.3-45.3 in (110-115 cm)

Weight: 88.2-381.0 oz (2500-10800 g)

Wingspan: 49.2-56.7 in (125-144 cm)

Wild Turkeys in the Rocky Mountains tend to have whitish tips to the rump and tail feathers, whereas other populations have rusty or chestnut tail tips.

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Wild Turkey Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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Most North American kids learn turkey identification early, by tracing outlines of their hands to make Thanksgiving cards. These big, spectacular birds are an increasingly common sight the rest of the year, too, as flocks stride around woods and clearings like miniature dinosaurs. Courting males puff themselves into feathery balls and fill the air with exuberant gobbling.

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Most podcast websites are blocked, Had to go with this

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Join Dr. Mike Chamberlain and Explore Everything Wild Turkeys